I've had to move my peas to the city and have a more or less adequate pen which is where they will stay until I can get a bigger, more permanent pen built. The biggest problem I'm having with the current pen is that the dogs like to run up at it, causing a certain amount of reaction in the pea pen. While everybody is gradually getting used to the situation, I'm thinking I'd like a little more visual barrier between the critters.

I'm thinking of putting big pots along the outside of the pen (I'm also missing my big vegetable garden!), and putting some tomatoes and other upright veggies around the perimeter. The pen is secure enough to keep the peas from reaching through and inadvertently getting their heads taken off by the dogs but I'm thinking that the tomatoes and other veggies may grow through the wire.

Any problem if the peas start nibbling the tomato vegetation? I used to have a list of toxic plants, but long since lost it. Are there any common garden vegetables that they shouldn't eat? (No, I don't have rhubarb, it's too hot here!)

Thanks!

_________________-- the accidental peahen

MinxFoxUPA MEMBER

Joined: 05 Oct 2009
Posts: 621
Location: Florida

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2014 12:03 am

I tried growing a scuppernong vine up the peafowl aviary fence. I think it was a combination of the vine not being close enough to the fence and also the peafowl kept eating all the leaves off of it that just stunted it and it doesn't really grow much now. I have seen beautiful photos of chicken pens with pretty vines all over them, and I think maybe one that was even a peafowl aviary, but so far I have had no luck.

I trust my peas not to eat anything poisonous. I found out that several of the plants that grow in their pen are actually poisonous and I have seen them eat on them some so I am no longer worried about them. They seem to have good instincts. As for one of my peacocks, he LOVES tomatoes a bunch. He really inhales them so I am not sure how well the tomatoes would do, but it is worth a try for sure!

lhROWUPA MEMBER

Joined: 22 Jun 2011
Posts: 243

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:47 pm

Thanks MinxFox -- I guess I'll go ahead and put the tomatoes next to the pen and see what happens I think most of the plant will be outside, even if part of the branches grow through the wire... Do I need to worry about the peas choking on cherry tomatoes?

_________________-- the accidental peahen

D C TUPA Forum Moderator

Joined: 16 Nov 2007
Posts: 888
Location: Georgia, USA

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 9:22 pm

It worries me to see a peafowl swallowing a cherry tomato so I try to remember to
cut or squeeze the tomato before giving it to peafowl. I have read of peafowl invading
gardens and eating tomatos. Speaking of toxic plants -- my peafowl love wysteria leaves
which are said to be toxic.
But for visual barriers plants are just NOT going to work. I like metal roof panels or
wood or plastic from above ground swimming pools or old shower stalls.
Robert Frost wrote in his poem, Mending Wall, "Good fences make good neighbors"
and I say that good visual barriers prevent peacock fights.
-------
Do NOT let wysteria get out of control.....or, better yet, if your property is not already
infested with this aggressive invasive vine do NOT plant any or permit anybody else
to plant any Right here right now they are in full bloom--lovely to see and
sweet smelling-- but they can ckoke a large pine tree to death and might do that to you
if they catch you sleeping .......years ago I helped Mother plant those things....

_________________friendly poultry orthopedist

Debbie

Joined: 19 Jul 2008
Posts: 39

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:37 pm

Does anyone have an opinion on shade cloth as a sight barrier? If I doubled it you can still sort of see through it, but would that be enough so the male won't fight. Here in central California it gets so hot that putting up plastic doesn't allow any air flow. Thanks

burdgurlUPA MEMBER

Joined: 07 Apr 2008
Posts: 384
Location: USA

Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 1:26 pm

I use it and it works fine, you can get it in diff. % of shade filtration up to about 87 %.
Below is a good place to get some :

I buy all mine from them, great company to work with and sometimes they have discontinued lines you can get at a good price.

lhROWUPA MEMBER

Joined: 22 Jun 2011
Posts: 243

Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:02 pm

I just realized I never updated the garden story...

I ended up putting some tiered planters (like stair steps) against the fence, alternating with some old, large pots. That kept the dogs off the fence and got the peas some privacy from the dog staring. I planted swiss chard and cherry tomatoes in the pots; bell peppers, eggplant, squash and other things in the layers.

As a treat for the peas, I planted pole and bush beans in the top tier next to the fence in one planter. Oh boy, do the peas love beans! I ended up adding more in another planter. They trimmed the bean vegetation off level with where they could reach through the fence. One of the boys absolutely loves it when I feed him beans through the wire and now comes to his "bean spot" whenever I come outside. The others will tussle over all the beans I break up and toss in the pen, along with the occasional squashed cherry tomato.

Everybody loves swiss chard. I trim off the ratty outer leaves and pitch them straight in the pen, causing great happiness

They snacked on pretty much everything they could reach, though not so much on the tomato vegetation. The cherry tomato plants (Sun Gold) grew like the Little Shop of Horrors and completely covered about eight feet of the side of the pen. I've picked gallons of the yellow cherries, and the peas love the split, overripe rejects. Not bad for two plants crowded in one pot along with a nameless and undistinguished salad tomato... No pumpkin tendrils made it past the peas either

So I have to say it worked out better than I anticipated... Peace, peas and beans. And endless squash -- what a great summer!